Nov 8, 15, 22 and 29. 10pm. $10 ($5 for those in togas). Bad Dog Theatre, 138 Danforth. 416-491-3115.
www.baddogtheatre.com.
If they still printed TV Guide, it would be easy these days to get an issue confused with the program at Bad Dog, where improv spoofs of hit shows are the order of the day. The latest of these, Rome'd, follows the successes of Dreadwood and last month's Battleawesome Awesomestar — putting some of the theatre's brighter names, such as Lisa Merchant, Kris Siddiqi, James Gangl and Dave Pearce, into sandals and discount togas.
The show, of course, is a take on the too-short HBO series and its retelling of how all those daggers ended up in Caesar's back.
It arrives under the direction of Andrew Currie — also behind the latest and enormously clever show by Approximately 3 Peters — and, he says, will sort of follow the first season through its four-night run.
"Most people seem to understand that there this guy named Caesar who got stabbed," he says. "So we're working backwards from there."
It looks like you're also playing fast and loose with the characters -- not sticking too close to the series.
There are so many characters to begin with we really worried our audience would be drowned in actors on stage.... So we combined a couple and left a couple out. We're taking a bit of creative license. But we've got a Caesar, a Brutus, a Marc Antony, a smart upwardly mobile soldier and a lovable loser with heart of gold.
What's next after this? An all-improv Mad Men?
I would like to direct a stage version of AfterMASH, because I think I can do a better job. Though that's aiming pretty low.
Real Roman theatre had a lot of mimes and dick jokes. Got anything like that lined up?
No mimes. Those are expressly forbidden.
Even if someone yells out "a mime!"?
I had a bad experience with a mime when I was younger. Personal issues. But dick jokes? Maybe one or two. We do have very loose fitting, billowy costumes. So if you're sitting in the right place you may see something. It's going to be a sexy show that's for sure.
The costuming must be cheap.
If you've ever shopped at Ikea for bed sheets you'll recognize a lot of the costumes.
Who looks best in a toga?
Not me, that's for sure.
If you lived in ancient Rome would you rather be: a really bad gladiator, a temple prostitute, or the guy who cleans up the vomitorium?
The guy in the vomitorium, because he won't be affected by an economic downturn. Any work is good work. And I'd use my earnings to further my studies as a temple prostitute.
BEST BETS
Remember Comedy Bar? It's opening again. The all-purpose laugh spot that soft-launched back in the spring has its grand opening on Friday: ribbon cutting at 7pm, followed by a "best of" set by residents the Sketchersons and an after-party. 945b Bloor W. www.comedybar.ca.
Expect soapbox-y jokes about the U.S. election and jabs at the church à la Religulous on Sunday when Bill Maher plays Massey Hall. 8pm.. $39.50-$68.50. 178 Victoria. www.roythomson.com.